Damned Love
by visionmaker82
Summary: The adventures of a blood elf warlock and his succubus-but this is not any ordinary succubus, and she has plans of her own.  A struggle of wills and passions ensues between them, and neither know who will triumph.
1. Chapter 1

Greetings gentle reader and fellow WoW enthusiasts. Before I begin this tale, I would like to offer an explanation that this is, in a way, a sort of crossover of Warcraft and Warhammer. One of the characters to be featured in this story is my own Blood Elf warlock, Darcia, from Warcraft. The other, however, belongs to the talented Naga26 of ; she is a Slaaneshi succubus named Sha'Akay, who he created for a Warhammer themed RPG. Sha'Akay's story is that she is a disciple of Slaanesh and a former demon-queen of her own realm, but lost her power and kingdom after taking part in a tournament that pitted her off against the original characters of other artists. After viewing Naga's art, I asked permission to use his demonic seductress for this story series, and he happily agreed. Some elements of her story have been altered to make her fit into Warcraft's unique world, but for the most part she remains the same loveable demoness that she is. All disclaimers apply-I do not own Warcraft or Warhammer. Darcia, however, belongs to me, and Sha'Akay to Naga, so if you wish to use them for a story of your own please ask permission first. I hope you all enjoy, and read on!

THE SUMMONING

Darcia Dawnstrider smiled to himself as he made his way through the corridors of The Undercity, his voidwalker Jhazrath floating silently at his side. He had every reason to feel pleased with himself; had he not advanced faster than any of his peers back in Silvermoon? Was he not now a world traveler who had already received the honor of a personal audience with both Lor'Themar Theron and Sylvanas Windrunner? And now here he was, about to advance to that next level in the pantheon of the warlock's craft. In his hand he clutched a bag, soaked through with blood. Contained within were the hearts of two mortal humans that the instructors here in The Undercity had instructed him to kill. Their love-worn hearts were a key reagent to summon his next demonic slave: a succubus.

Darcia chuckled to himself as he entered the Magic Quarter, searching for the masters who would instruct him in summoning the beast. Like most male warlock's he had looked forward to summoning one of these enchanting seductresses since the day he had first been deemed ready to begin enslaving demon's to his will. But for him the succubus was not some idle toy to be played with at will-it was a stepping stone, a simple bump on the road to far greater power. Darcia felt sure that one day his name would go down in the pantheon of the greatest warlock's who ever lived; human's and dwarves would use his name as a way to frighten their children into good behavior, and even the mightiest fel-beasts and lords of the pits would bend to his will. But first he had to grow in knowledge and power, and this succubus was simply the next step.

"Greetings, wise instructor" Darcia said as he swept into a formal bow. He had every intent of exceeding this dried old mummy of a Forsaken, but for now he kept his own impudence in tight restraint. He considered the art of deception an important one, and so for now he would remain the acme of good manners, the very image of polite respectfulness.

"Ah, you have returned young one" the Forsaken instructor croaked through his long dead throat. "Have you brought what is required?" Darcia held the sack up, some small drops of coagulated blood plopping into the stone floor. The instructor rubbed his bony hands together and cackled. "Excellent. You must carry them to the summoning circle there," he pointed across the room to a small platform set among the glowing green pools of the Undercity's toxic sewage, where the floor was decorated with various runes chalked into the ground, "and repeat the incantation as I instructed you. Focus your will on the void, concentrate until you have capture the essence of one of the creatures. This will summon it here into the physical realm. Then you must overcome it to bind it to your will. Then you will be ready to summon it as you wish." Darcia nodded and started to cross the room to the summoning circle when he felt the wretched fingers rest on his shoulder.

"Be cautious, young one" the instructor rasped into his ear. Darcia felt himself bristle at being addressed in such a degrading form, but he held himself in check and listened. "A succubus will not be as easy to control as your imp, nor as wordlessly loyal as your voidwalker. They have a will and power of their own. If you do not maintain total control at all times, or lower your defenses around it remotely, you would not be the first warlock who finds the minion becomes the master."

"I understand." Darcia said. The Forsaken instructor narrowed his empty sockets at him, perhaps sensing the impudence in him, but nonetheless released his grip and let him continue. Darcia made his way to the circle and then knelt down, emptying the contents of his bag. The two hearts flopped onto the chalked runes on the floor, like old garments tossed into the day's rubbish. He knelt just outside the circle and began the incantation. He repeated the words over and over, slowly focusing his mind as he prepared for the summoning at hand.

The two hearts actually began to beat, pumping blood that was as thick as glue from their severed arteries. The beating intensified as the incantation continued, and then the hearts burst into flames, as if soaked in oil and set to a candle. A purple colored smoke rose up, forming a dark cloud over the circle, and Darcia knew it was time.

He closed his eyes and concentrated. He slowly felt his consciousness pull away from his body, as if his spirit were floating over the room and he could see himself crouched there. He felt the world around him fade as he entered the void, reaching out, grasping in the darkness, searching. He focused himself on thoughts of carnal delights, of sensual pleasures and forbidden dreams-the perfect bait for a creature like a succubus. He heard the sound of laughter, sweet, feminine laughter, and felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end as if caressed by a lover's touch.

_It's here…_ he thought to himself, and with that he felt his mind contract, like the grip of a vice. Instantly he could feel his muscles tense as he felt the presence he had captured try to fight back, to slide back into the darkness of the void and escape him. He repeated the incantation again and gave a great thrust of mental energy, tightening his grip around it. He clenched his fists with effort and gave a great burst of will, feeling the presence in his mind whither against his grip, its resistance broken. With a sigh he finally gave one last burst of effort to force what he had captured into the physical realm, urging it with the unspoken words _come!_

Darcia opened his eyes, feeling his muscles go slack with exhaustion. He looked up at the purple cloud hovering over the summoning circle, waiting to see what happened. Slowly, from within that purple cloud, a shape began to take form. He saw a definitely bipedal form, with two arms and legs, and the visible outline of wings spreading from its back. Then a pair of glowing orbs pierced through the haze, and a soft sound like the cooing of a dove became audible, and a small puff of that purple smoke blew out, propelled by the force of breathing. The shape gave a sweep of its arms, clearing the smoke away, and the creature within became visible.

Darcia's jaw dropped. The succubus was indeed a striking creature-he had seen them before, accompanying their master's through Silvermoon, but nothing had prepared him for the sight of one this close. The demon blinked its eyes a few times and then glanced around with a puzzled look on its face, as if perplexed at its new surroundings. Then its eyes rested on him. Instantly its face contorted in a look of rage, its lip curling over its pointed fangs. It hissed a few words in a language Darcia did not recognize and then drew its arm back, the whip clutched in its hand cracking and then snapping forward, ready to rend flesh.

Instantly Jhazrath thrust himself between his master the succubus. He raised a great, blue arm and allowed the whip to crack around his wrist. He grabbed a hold of it and gave a great tug, intending to pull the demoness off balance and make her vulnerable to an attack. But instead, much to Darcia's amazement, the succubus gave a great tug of its own, yanking the blue-colossus forward. She gave a swipe of her free arm, her talons rending through the blue-mist that formed Jhazrath's body, and the voidwalker gave a low moan of pain, a noise Darcia had only heard it make a few times before. It filled him with a sense of dread, and he waited no longer to take action himself.

He uttered a brief incantation and then watched as the curse of immolation took its effect. Instantly the succubus' skin broke out in red welts, as if a piece of hot metal had been pressed to its skin. The demon gave a hiss of pain and slapped at its arms and shoulders, as if trying to ward off attacking bugs. Its eyes rested on Darcia again, identifying him as the source of this latest attack, and it started to charge forward only to be leveled by a blow from behind from Jhazrath. Darcia quickly uttered another incantation, this time for a curse of affliction, and then watched as a series of cuts and bruises appeared on the demon's body. Jhazrath continued to smack the demoness with his great, paw like hands, tossing her from side to side. Darcia completed the assault by unleashing a shadow bolt that blasted the demoness in her back, drawing a long shriek like nails on a chalkboard from her as finally she vanished like a great puff of smoke, banished back to the void.

Darcia sighed and let his shoulders sag, going down to his knees as his chest rose and fell in great, gasping breaths. _Perhaps I should have taken that instructors words more seriously…_ he thought ruefully to himself. The succubus had tested him in a way he had never expected, and despite the exhaustion he felt after such an effort, he knew that now the demon was his to control, and he was eager to see what his new minion was capable of. He smiled as he looked up at Jhazrath, floating silently, waiting for his next order.

"I'm afraid I have to send you off for a bit, old friend." He said, and with that uttered the incantation of dismissal.

"Back to the void…" Jhazrath said with that rasping voice, and then vanished. Darcia took a moment to gather himself and then uttered a new incantation, this one to summon his latest servant. He waited patiently for her to appear, and was starting to feel annoyed when he heard the velvety voice whisper from behind him.

"Hmm, what have we here?" Darcia spun on his heel and felt his jaw dangle once again at the sight before him. He had never had a chance to observe the succubus' belonging to other warlock's closely, but he could already see there was something decidedly different about this one.

Her skin was a dark pink hue, rather than the pale purple of other succubus' he had seen. She boasted two horns that curled around her head elegantly, but also a third that sprouted from the center of her forehead, and surrounding it was a series of spines across her brow. She had no hair, but rather a series of strange looking tentacles that spread out from her head. Her lithe body was adorned with a chainmail bodice, rather than leather, and her long, muscular legs ended in a pair of triple-clawed feet rather than hooves. She placed a hand on her hip and smiled at him, her purple lips curving up around her fangs. The very air around her seemed thicker and more musty, and Darcia found he had to shake his head to clear his thoughts.

"Creature of the void, I am Darcia Dawnstrider of Silvermoon. You are now mine to command," he said, trying his best to sound commanding despite how awestruck he was by this exotic creature, "As your master, I command you to tell me your name."

"Hmm you can call me anything you like darling" she said as she strutted forward, reaching one arm out and scratching playfully under his chin with one of her talons. "But to most I'm known as Sha'Akay." He gulped and swatted her arm away, despite the initial urge he had to hold onto that hand and pull her closer.

_What's wrong with me? _He thought to himself.

"Your fate is bound to mine now, demon. You shall live to do as I command, fight whenever I tell you, and protect me from any dangers that may arise. Do you understand?"

"I understand fine, handsome." She purred and then moved closer, brushing her body against his. "But is that all you want me to do? I'm sure there's so much more…" she whispered, her voice setting the hair all over his body on end. In spite of himself, Darcia had to admit that now he understood why that instructor had warned him so strongly-this creature was alluring in a way he had never imagined. He found himself fighting the urge to put his arms around her, hold her closer, or to let his eyes wander over her curvaceous form.

"Enough!" he said, pushing her away from him. "We shall go now." He turned about and started off, walking toward the elevators that would take them back to the surface, all the while resisting the urge to turn back around and gaze at her more.

Sha'Akay fell in line and walked behind him, her hips swaying with each step, her amble bust bouncing light with the jangle of her chainmail garments. Her perfectly calm demeanor reflected none of the turmoil raging inside her.

_A slave!_ she screamed in her mind. _This is what's become of me? From queen of my own realm to this….this thing's minion! How could this all have happened? _She replayed the events that had brought about this downfall over and over in her head; the revolt of her own subjects, the betrayal of her demonic consort, the stripping of her powers and title. She had no idea how long she had drifted through the void with little more self-awareness than a slug, only to find herself ripped into this world. The thought of all she had lost made her want to scream, to shriek her fury at the top of her lungs. But she forced herself to remain calm-patience was, after all, one of her greatest assets.

_Just be patient. _she told herself. _You will take your realm back. And you will be free of this miserable wretch's control. Just wait._


	2. Chapter 2

REVELATIONS

The innkeeper brought a plate of savory steaks roasted from the meat of the lynxes that roamed Eversong Woods, some eggs taken from the clutch of a dragonhawk, and some juicy red apples. Darcia dug into the meal with relish while the innkeeper went to fetch a bottle of Suntouched Preserve to wash his food down. He poured himself a goblet of it before she could even set it on the table.

"Eating alone? Where's your lovely companion?" the innkeeper quipped. Darcia narrowed his eyes at her and watched as she walked away, chuckling to herself. He took a long sip of his beverage and then frowned in annoyance. He had unfortunately gotten used to these taunts in the time since he had come back to Silvermoon.

For the first couple of days he had actually been an object of envy for many; while some of his fellow warlock initiates had also mastered the craft of summoning a succubus, he, it seemed, had snagged something unique. Everywhere they had gone heads had turned, gazing in amazement or idle lust at the demoness who now followed every step he made. His instructors had commented that they had never seen a demon like her, and Darcia had basked in the recognition. But now the gazes and jealousy had turned to snickering and mockery.

Sha'Akay was definitely like no other succubus anyone in Silvermoon had seen, but it had turned out this did not just apply to her exotic appearance. She had proven to have an independent streak that was not working out to Darcia's advantage. For one thing, she had an incessant habit of _wandering_. The demons belonging to the other warlock's of Silvermoon, even the succubus', never left their masters side. When he attended lectures to learn new curses or spells they would all wait silently at the back of the room, waiting for their masters beck and call. Sha'Akay, however, had already caused him considerable embarrassment several times by wandering off during the lectures, leaving him to run all over the city trying to find her. She also had never once called him "master" in the weeks since he had summoned her. Instead she referred to him as "darling," even though he had ordered her to call him by his appropriate station to her. And always, she talked! She always had some little comment to make, some remark to offer. His instructors had warned him to get control of her, or perhaps to simply send her back to the void and summon her sparingly, but for some reason he simply couldn't bring himself to send her away.

And that was what galled him the most! He was not certain why, but he simply could not bring himself to assert his power over her decisively. He had considered sending her back into the darkness of the void, or punishing her in some other way for her antics. But every time he tried to muster the will he looked at her curvaceous body, her graceful motion, her full bosom, and her eyes that seemed so full of innocence despite the utter viciousness she displayed in battle, and his anger against her would fade. In a way, he supposed, it felt like the reluctance a parent feels to punish their own child. And this only troubled him more; he knew it was not a good start to think of his demon in such a fashion. She was his minion, no more. He had to think of her more like a sword or dagger: an object to be wielded with consideration, and all too capable of inflicting just as much damage on the hand holding it as on that which that hand thrust it upon.

He took another sip of his beverage and frowned to himself as he remembered the innkeepers comment. _Just where is she, anyway?_ he thought to himself, not savoring the idea of having to go wandering about trying to locate her again.

As if summoned by his thoughts a pink, tentacle like appendage, which he knew to be Sha'Akay's tail, appeared out of the corner of his eye, its tip dipping down into his goblet to take up a drop of his drink.

"Enjoying breakfast, darling?" she asked as she strutted around the side of the table, taking a seat opposite him. Her tail curled up, a single drop of the amber-colored liquid suspended from its tip, and she darted her long tongue out lap it. He watched this performance, considering that tail; it was one of the ways she differed so much from any other succubus. It was much longer and thicker than the tail of any other demoness he had seen, and in a way it was also almost like the tail of a dog or cat, as it reacted to her mood-slithering with a sensual motion when she was pleased or flapping back and forth furiously when she was agitated.

"And just where have you been? And for the thousandth time, stop calling me darling!" he snapped as he took a large bite of his lynx steak, chewing hard as he vented some of his annoyance at her onto his food.

"Oh, just…around" she said absently, resting her chin on her palm. "Your city is quite lovely, you must take me sight-seeing some time."

"I will do no such thing!" he said, smacking a hand onto the table and rising to his feet. "And don't get used to it, we're leaving today." He grimaced as he fumbled in his pocket for a few copper to toss onto the table as payment for the meal. "I've received instruction from Lor'Themar Theron himself. We are going to Orgrimmar; our orcish allies have requested some help in dealing with their problems there, and it is important for my people to maintain good relations. Besides, the rewards could be quite handsome."

"Hmm, sounds fun" Sha'Akay said as she slithered up alongside him, curling her arm around his. "When do we leave?"

"Soon" Darcia said, frowning in annoyance as he brushed her arm away. She frequently tried to make some physical contact with him like this, and he hated to admit that he found it harder and harder to push her away. Her skin was as soft as the silk that adorned Silvermoon'st tapestries, and he could not deny the urge to feel that skin pressed against his. "I want to stop at the auction house first, I have bid on some items that may help us when we get there."

Sha'Akay smiled to herself as she followed him out of the inn and through the streets of the city. She had felt the hairs of his arm stand up at her touch. For someone who had managed to bind her to him as a slave, this blood elf certainly was easy to get reactions from; it was pleasing to see that despite all the power she had lost when she had been overthrown from her throne, she had still lost none of her most basic charms. She restrained a small chuckle as she remembered the way she had felt him tremble the first time she had touched him after he had seen her in combat for the first time-it clearly excited him to watch her dispatching the enemies he sent her after. She had actually been glad for the chance to vent some of the frustration she felt at her current predicament, and she had delighted in the feel of flesh rending under her talons and blood splattering across her skin. After that she had always made sure to put on an extra show just to gauge his reactions, licking a few drops of blood sensuously from her lips or smearing it across her breasts, flexing her thighs and arms to show their power as she landed blow upon blow. The fool never failed to disappoint her, his chest rising and falling with trembling breaths, his pointed ears twitching at the sounds of her moans of delight as she tore into her opponents with glee.

The auction house was bustling, as usual, when they arrived. Darcia pushed and shoved his way to the front of the crowd while she waited by the door, for once actually staying put where he told her to wait. When he walked back he was holding a small object between his fingers: a ring. It was a small red jewel, set into a gold band that was inscribed with carvings.

"Why darling, for me?" she teased, giggling playfully at the glare he threw her in response.

"This is for me" he said as he slipped a glove from his hand. "Sadly it is just a trinket compared to some of the other treasures being sold here. But for my current status, it will help." He slid it onto his finger and then snapped his head back, his eyes shut tight. The markings on the ring glowed briefly with soft light, the gem gleaming with a dull color. He gave a dreamy sigh and opened his eyes, which for a brief moment seemed to add some extra light to their usual soft green glow. He grinned with obvious pleasure, clenching and unclenching his fist as he felt the ring's power add to his own.

Sha'Akay actually gave a soft gasp herself as she felt herself share in its effect. She felt every muscle in her body clench for a single heartbeat, followed by a soft warm washing over her. It made her skin break out in bumps, and when she opened her own eyes they also sparked for a moment with an extra luminescence.

"Magnificent…" she sighed.

"What was that?" Darcia said, breaking from his reverie of ecstasy, furrowing his brow and frowning as he faced, her.

"Oh, nothing, it was nothing!" she rushed to say. She fell in behind him once again as he walked out of the auction house, her head still reeling from the last few moments. _What was that? _she thought to herself. She looked down at her own hands, gazing at them intently as she opened and closed her fists. They felt…tighter, stronger somehow, as if she had just rested after a long ordeal.

_Could it be…?_ She thought as she snapped her head up to look at the back of Darcia's head, the down at her hands again. _Because we are connected, when he grows in strength and power….I do too! _It was just a thought, a possibility, but it was more than enough to send her mind into a frenzy of plotting. She broke into a grin, her fangs glinting as she schemed to herself. _Then that's how I'll get my throne back! I'll use this fool to help me regain my power, and then return to my realm and take back what's mine! _Of course, it occurred to her, that this blood elf would probably have some ideas of his own on the topic. She chuckled softly to herself as she thrust the concern aside. _I've seen how he reacts to me. We'll see how well he holds up when I really turn the charm. Then we'll see who's the master and who's the slave._ She closed her eyes as she pictured him running about, scuttling to obey her every whim as she had been forced to do with him. It sent a shiver of delight through her and she twittered softly to herself as she plotted what was to come.

Walking ahead of her, Darcia felt the hair on the back of his neck stand on end. He heard her making some sort of noise, at first he had thought she was humming to herself. But then he realized she was laughing, albeit quietly. He gulped at the sudden tightness in his throat and kept his eyes forward.


	3. Chapter 3

ALMOST THERE

_I hate this place…_

This was Sha'Akay's though as she wiped sweat from her face. She had thought Durotar had been harsh, but The Barrens was even worse! The heat was oppressive, and the dry winds were playing havoc with here delicate skin. She glanced over at Darcia, crouched next to her in the brush, and saw that he was not doing much better. His face was slick with sweat, his eyes looking sunken by dehydration, breathing heavily as his lungs struggled to adjust to the dry, dusty air.

She glanced back across the plain toward the point of their observations: a small group quillboar that were rustling about. She frowned and crinkled her nose as the wind picked up and she caught their stench; there was no mistaking these unpleasant little creatures. Nonetheless, these beasts had recently launched raids against orcish caravans travelling through these infernal lands, and the orcs were now offering rewards to any who killed them and thinned their numbers.

She was shaken from her observations when Darcia placed a hand on her shoulder. She turned her eyes to him and watched as he pulled a small, glowing shard from his pouch. He held it up in front of his face, clenched it tight in his hand, and then squeezed hard. There was a soft glow from between his fingers, and then he opened his hand, revealing the crystal had vanished. His eyes glowed for a moment as he absorbed the energy, feeding his addiction to magic.

"I'm going to try a curse of fear on one of them…" he whispered to her. "Think you can handle the rest?"

"Darling, you should know better than to ask that by now" she replied with a mischievous smirk. She watched as he closed his eyes and began to murmur the incantations; he had learned this new spell only days ago in Orgrimmar, and was anxious to put it to use. She looked over at the group of quillboar and watched.

One of them rooting pig-men raised its head, its ears twitching. It glanced around, as if detecting a strange noise, its nostrils flaring as it tried to pick up the source of the strange intrusion it detected. It glanced around and then let loosed a great shriek of horror as it saw the image of a giant feral cat galloping across the plain at then. It threw its pudgy arms in the air and began running, leaving its companions exchanging confused glances as they tried to find what it was their companion had become so horrified by.

Sha'Akay watched this for a moment, and then glanced over at Darcia, smirking when she saw his jaw clenched, his fights tight at the effort he was exerting to keep the curse in effect. Smiling to herself she learned over, bringing her face near his, and blew delicately into one of his pointed ears. It jolted him out of his trance; he jumped and gave a shout, drawing the attention of the quillboar.

"What are you…" Darcia started to snarl at his rebellious companion, but she was already gone. She charged across the dry ground, meeting the oncoming quillboar eagerly. For a moment he found himself unable but help admiring her in action once again-even in combat the way she moved was utterly captivating. He watched the swelling of the muscles in her thighs as she charged, her pouty lips curling around her fangs, the flare of her wings as she fanned them out to their full span, and then the tightening of the muscles along her arm as she snapped her whip back, ready for the slaughter to come.

Sha'Akay cracked her whip, its cord snapping around the first quillboar's arm, instantly drawing blood. The wretched little beast gave a great squeal of pain and dropped its primitive club, throwing its other arm up in a feeble attempt at defense. She raked her talons over its snout, savoring the feel of the warm blood oozing out over her fingers and reveling in its cry of anguish. She pulled her whip back again, raking the flesh across its entangled arm and then tossed it aside, taking only a second to savor the sight of the little beast curling into a ball, clutching its shredded arm.

She turned to meet the next one as it leapt at her, raising its stone-axe as high over its head as it could, only for that weapon to be blown out of its hand-and that hand off its wrist by a ball of screeching, smoky energy that she knew to be a shadow-bolt. The quillboar gave a great screech and collapsed to one knee, clutching the stump where its hand had been. Sha'Akay glanced over at Darcia, who had a feral look himself now, his adrenaline staring to pump in the heat of battle. She threw her head back and laughed with delight as she drew her whip across the quillboar's pudgy torso, opening a great gash from one shoulder down to the opposite hip. She then kicked one of her powerful legs up, making a clean slash across its throat with the talon of one of her feet. She sighed with admiration at the red mist that filled the air as the brute dropped to its knees, clutching at its throat in a pathetic attempt to stop the seeping of its life onto the barren soil.

Her enjoyment was broken by the sound of a thud and a soft grunt. Her head snapped around to see Darcia, flat on his back in the dirt, kicking his legs to try to put distance between himself at the brute hulking over him. Evidently the quillboar he had cast the curse of fear on had overcome its vision, and had pinpointed the source of its vexation. With a great snort it swung its club, missing Darcia by mere fractions as he rolled aside. The warlock barely raised his staff in time to deflect the second blow, and the quillboar grabbed onto it with hits grimy hands, trying to yank it away and leave him vulnerable.

The demoness watched this struggle for a heartbeat, biting her lip as she fought with herself, considering whether or not to intervene. _If he dies, I'm free…_ she thought to herself. But it was so soon, she knew that was more power to be gathered between them, was she truly ready yet?

Darcia grunted as his staff was yanked from his hands and then raised his arms just before the hideous creature lunged at him. He felt his hands press into the leather hide, barely holding the monster away. He groaned with disgust at the pig-man's rank breath blasting into his face and the feel of its slobber dripping onto his neck. He closed his eyes and prepared to take his final breath when he heard the loud crack. He looked up to see the barbs of his succubus' whip coiled around the quillboar's neck. They were yanked tight and then clean away with a great tug, opening up the monster's throat. He felt himself flooded by both relief and revulsion as the creature's blood gushed over his robe. He scrambled away as its lifeless body went limp over him and then stood up, staring down at it as he allowed his heart to slow to its normal pace. He glanced over at Sha'akay, and for a moment puzzled at her expression; she looked almost surprised by her own actions.

He frowned and then knelt to pick up his staff. He walked over to where she stood and glared at her.

"I trust you won't let it get that close again." He said through gritted teeth. She gave no response, but nonetheless frowned at the hostility in his words. He set about pulling the dead quillboar's tusks free while she dispatched the remaining one, still writhing on the ground in pain. Then he stood, brushing at the dirt and dust that covered him. He frowned at this disheveled appearance; like most blood elves, he preferred to keep his best image at all times. "Enough for one day" he said as he wiped some sweat from his brow, "Let's head in."

"Back to The Crossroads?" she asked as she sidled up alongside him.

"No" he replied, frowning as he judged the distance across the plains. "Too far, it would be past dark by the time we got back. We're closer to Ratchet, we'll stay there for the evening. We can take a wyvern flight back to The Crossroad's in the morning."

"Lead the way darling" she said, smiling again at the annoyed glance he threw her nickname for him. They set off walking, their feet kicking up small clouds of dust as they made their way across the blasted landscape. While they walked, Sha'Akay glanced down at her hands, pondering what had occurred only moments before. _Why couldn't I just let him die?_ she wondered to herself, but a clear answer could not come to her. For some reason, she had simply felt a desire to keep him alive. Perhaps when he had bonded her to him as his demon, it had so connected their minds that she considered his survival to be tantamount to her own? She shook her head, uncertain if that was the answer.

She was still pondering these questions when they entered the goblin port-town. As they approached the coast, she instantly felt relief as the cool breezes from the ocean filled her lungs and soothed her wind-worn skin. She found herself amused by the strange architecture; the buildings all jutted and leaned against each other, as if they had been constructed with no particular order or design in mind. And she felt a certain delight to see that this was a place well made for one such as her; at every street corner there were places to pursue pleasures of all kinds: theaters, gambling houses, restaurants and taverns, even brothels, though she could just imagine what kind of flesh these little green creatures would peddle. She was even surprised to see the presence of people from the faction that Darcia claimed his people and they're brethren of The Horde opposed: The Alliance. There were humans, purple skinned night elves, stunty dwarves, and even gnomes wandering the streets. They exchanged unpleasant glares with Darcia and the other Horde people wandering the streets, but yet no open hostilities were exchanged.

They located an inn, and Darcia took room for the night. When they entered the tiny cabin he immediately moved to the window, gazing out over the ocean as the sun started to begin its descent toward the horizon. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, savoring the cool ocean air.

"Thank goodness, I so dearly need a bath" Sha'Akay sighed as she beat a path toward the small room that adjoined the bedchamber. She looked at the metal basin with the pipes that fed into the wall, delighting in the fact that at least these goblin buildings had running water-in Orgrimmar and The Crossroads they had been forced to draw water from a well in buckets, and the effort of pouring it all into a tub and then lighting a fire long enough to warm the water without making it scalding had been most tiresome.

"A bath?" Darcia said, arching an eyebrow. He had not realized that a demon would need to bathe, but he supposed it made sense; after all, as long as she remained outside the void she was flesh and blood, just like him.

"Indeed, unless you want to go first. Or, we could share…" she said, suggestively. She smiled at the frown he threw her and then yanked the curtain closed on the door, separating them. Darcia sighed and started to pull his boots off, but found himself frozen when he caught sight of her through the tiny crack that had been left open in the doorway to the bathing-chamber. His throat became tight when he saw her reach behind herself, unclasping the hooks of her bodice. He took a single, sharp breath when she allowed her garment to drop from her body to the floor. For a moment he sat, transfixed, unable to help but savor every inch of her lithe body as she stretched for a moment, her arms reached up overhead, her buttocks flexing as she swatted her tail softly from side to side. He forced himself to look away when she turned slightly to sit on the edge of the tub as she started to draw the water. He looked down at the floor and placed his head in his hands, breathing deeply as he tried to control himself. _What is wrong with me?_ he thought as he tried to force the image of what he had just seen out of his mind.

Behind the curtain, Sha'Akay smiled to herself when she heard the sound of his breathing change-evidently he had enjoyed the view she had provided when she intentionally left a little space between the curtain and the door. She heard the sound of him breathing heavily, obviously fighting against his own arousal. She chuckled softly as she slid her body below the warm water, cooing like a dove as she felt her skin seem to soak up the moisture like a sponge, her muscles loosening beneath her skin at the warmth.

She eased back and folded her hands behind her head, gazing up at the ceiling, smiling smugly. _This is why I kept him alive, _she thought to herself, _the fool can't help himself. Before long he'll be wrapped around my little talon, then we'll see who the master is._

When she emerged, a towel wrapped around her torso, she found him reclining on the bed, dressed only in a pair of loose fitting briefs, savoring the feel of the ocean breeze as the evening cooled the air. She smiled to herself as she took in the sight before her; his skin was smooth and fare, his body fit and well muscled. He was nowhere near as burly and powerful as her former consort back in her own realm had been, but still, he was by no means unpleasing, even to an eye as experienced as hers. Perhaps she might enjoy this seduction a bit after all.

"Enjoying the breeze?" she quipped, causing him to jolt from his pleasant reverie. He scrambled to grab his robe off the edge of the bed, trying to pull it around himself. He froze when he saw her wearing nothing but a towel, twin spots of ruddy color starting to show on his cheeks. She chuckled and shook her head. "Why must mortals always have such an unnatural attitude about their own bodies?" she wondered aloud.

"What?" Darcia said, still frozen.

"You feel shame when there should be none" she continued, and with that she reached up and tossed the towel away. She smiled at the way his eyes nearly bulged from the sockets, his jaw dangling at the sight of her nakedness. "See? Nothing to be ashamed of at all" she said, placing her hands on her hips and gazing intently at him. His jaw trembled, as if he was searching for words, but apparently, so overwhelmed at the sight before him that he couldn't speak. _Like taking candy from a newborn_ she thought smugly as she strutted across the room to him. He stood, holding his robe meekly in front of him, as if trying to keep at least some barrier between them. She yanked it from his hands and tossed it aside, leaving their flesh only inches away from each other.

Darcia stood, feeling himself starting to tremble as she moved closer. He knew he should order her to stop or should push her away, but his body simply refused to budge. He gulped when she raised her hands, resting them on his shoulders. She slowly slid them down over his chest, the tips of her talons ticking softly against his skin. Then she wrapped her fingers around his arms and trailed down, then brushed her thumbs over the smooth ridges of his abdomen.

"What are you…" he started to say, exasperated at the cracking of his own voice through the tightness in his throat. He watched as she slowly leaned her head forward, and then gasped softly when she pressed her burning lips to the skin of his chest. He watched as she slowly brushed her face against his skin, planting soft, spine-tingling kisses, and then groaned when he felt her brush her tongue along his collar.

"We should savor our bodies, for every sensation they can give us…" she whispered huskily between planting kisses on his chest. Darcia's eyes rolled back as his arms, moving with a will of their own, reached up to rest his hands on her hips. She moved a little closer and began to kiss his neck, her hot breath causing the hairs along his skin to stand on end, her nipples brushing against his chest. He felt hot all over, as if a spell of some kind were raising the temperature of every cell in his body. He gave a groan of both pleasure and pain when he felt her pinch some skin on his neck between her teeth, and he coiled his arms around her, pulling her close and pressing his body to hers.

Sha'Akay gave a dreamy sigh and rolled her head back, and closed her eyes, waiting for his kiss. She kept her mouth slightly open, her tongue rolling invitingly between her teeth, feeling his breath on her face. But nothing happened. After several heartbeats she fluttered her eyes open and was surprised to see the gaping expression his face had turned to one steely determination. "What is it?" she asked, already realizing what was happening.

"No" he said softly, loosening his grip on her. She held onto him though, hoping to revive the moment.

"But you want this" she said, leaning in close and whispering seductively, "so do I."

"No" he said, more forcefully, and pushed her away. He looked her over, up and down, as if he were seeing her in some new light. "I can't do this, and I won't" he said as he reached down, starting to gather his clothes. "You are my demon, a servant. Nothing more."

"But I could be so much more…" she said, placing her hands on his shoulders and trying to turn him to face her once again. He pushed her away even harder this time and started to repeat the incantation of dismissal. Sha'Akay's eyes widened in shock, and she started to dart forward, her hands raised. "No-" she began to scream, but her words were cut off when she vanished, like a puff of smoke into the wind.

Instantly Darcia collapsed onto the bed, shivering and breathing heavily. It had taken all his will to resist her seduction, and even then he could not deny how badly he had wanted to go through with it, to take her and ravish her completely. He closed his eyes and repeated a prayer of cleansing, trying to calm himself. He his heart had slowed and he had ceased trembling he opened his eyes and glanced at the space on the floor where she had been standing only moments before.

"The worst part is…I already miss her" he said to himself, sadly.


	4. Chapter 4

THE FIRST TASTE

She was angry at him, that much was obvious. Darcia knew he should not have felt any sense of remorse or guilt about invoking the agitation of his demon, but for some reason he disliked having Sha'Akay mad at him. He looked for a while at her as she stood by the edge of the zeppelin as it traveled across the Great Sea; she was completely unmoving, gazing out over the waves, her arms crossed. She had not spoken a single word since they had boarded.

After their encounter in Ratchet, he had spent a sleepless night trying to forget what had transpired. He had taken a wyvern flight back to Orgrimmar and had summoned her back from the void just before boarding the goblins zeppelin to return home; he felt the call of duty to his own people tugging at him, as well as a desire for the more pleasant climate of Eversong Woods. He had summoned her back from the void just before boarding the craft, and for the entire day they had been chugging through the sky, heading for the Eastern Kingdoms, she had been giving him the silent treatment.

For her own part, Sha'Akay was actually experiencing mixed emotions for the first time in a very, very long while. Rejection was not something she had encountered in centuries, and in truth she was not sure how to handle it. _I had him_ she thought to herself in angry confusion, _the fool was practically drooling over me, how did he resist? _She was not sure who she was more angry at: him for somehow managing to resist her temptations, or herself for failing in what should have been an easy conquest. It was obvious now that she had underestimated the situation, and now he was going to be on his guard for further attempts at being seduced by her. It meant this was all going to take that much longer and require that much more effort, and the fact that she could only express her frustration by glaring out over the waves cascading below only heightened her distress.

_Maybe I'm just losing my touch..._ she considered, but she immediately thrust that thought aside. There was nothing wrong with her at all. She took a moment to savor the memories of past triumphs of seduction; kings and queens had been reduced to mindless, jibbering dolls after sampling her pleasures, holy knights on blessed crusades had knelt at her feet and worshiped her, and demonic lords had courted her favor. No, there was nothing wrong with her at all-but this elf was obviously stronger than she had expected. Perhaps she had taken the challenge too lightly when she had hit on this plan.

She considered this for a moment, and then felt the fine thread weaving before her eyes. Perhaps this was destiny at work-a chance to resharpen her claws upon this elf's supple flesh. Perhaps she had grown too complacent, too used to having her own way so easily-yes, that must be it. That was why her consort had been able to betray her and oust her from her throne, that was why none of her demonic subjects had fought on her behalf, and that was why this mortal whelp had been able to bind her to his will. She needed to refresh herself, to flex old muscles and relearn arts of cunning and guile that she had not used in so long.

And besides, it was not a total loss; he wanted her, that much was obvious. She would never have gotten as close as she had if he didn't. She had felt him tremble at her touch, had felt his arms coil around her, and for a brief moment she had tasted the desire her felt for her. It just meant she would have to be patient and wait for the right opportunity to present itself; this called for cunning, not just pure, feminine wilds.

These thoughts gave her a sense of renewed purpose. She took a deep breath of the salty ocean air and smiled to herself. She turned and walked back into the cabin-area of the zeppelin, where the passengers were turning in for an evenings rest. She found Darcia dozing on the cot in the small, cramped cabin he had taken for the flight. She looked at his sleeping form, curled up under the thin blanket, and smiled to herself. She reached out and softly patted his cheek.

_You're mine already, you just don't know it yet_ she thought to herself. _And I will get another chance. Just you wait..._

As it turned out, she did not have to wait all that long. Almost as soon as the zeppelin docked near the Forsaken village of Brill, Darcia picked up word of an impending attack upon the fortress of Shadowfang Keep. It seemed that the dreaded archmage Arugal had recently ordered his worgen progeny into a series of raids upon Forsaken settlements in Silverpine Forest, and The Banshee Queen Sylvanas Windrunner had finally had enough. She had ordered a large reward to be offered for anyone who presented the head of Arugal to her commanders, and had placed smaller bounties for proof of the slaying of any of his worgen servants. For Darcia, the lure had been irresistible; Shadowfang Keep had bountiful libraries of mystical lore from before Arugal had fallen into darkness, and there was the possibility of a great plunder of gold and magical artifacts for those willing to risk it. He had joined in a group with several other adventurers, and together they had launched a daring assault right through the front gate of the Keep itself.

The attack had gone beyond their greatest expectations; they had quickly fought their way through to the courtyard of the Keep, and from there through the great dining hall and up into the inner sanctum where Arugal worked his dark magic. They had successfully confronted Arugal himself, and through their combined efforts had driven the archmage to his knees, providing one of their warrior companions the perfect opportunity to cleave his head straight from his shoulders.

The reward had indeed been rich, and Darcia and his companions promptly set about spending it. They threw a great celebration in the Gallows End tavern in Brill; drunk with victory they ordered mug after mug of ale, getting themselves drunk in the literal sense as well.

For her part, Sha'Akay sat silently, watching the proceedings. She watched as Darcia drank and drank, his speech slurring as he grew more and more intoxicated, his body swaying every time he attempted to stand to propose yet another toast. She saw his eyes become glassy, and his tongue become loose as he lost control of his better senses. She saw him growing vulnerable...

_Tonight..._she thought to herself with a smirk, her fangs poking just slightly over the top of her lips, _It'll be tonight or not at all._

When he attempted to propose yet another toast, he fumbled, nearly falling over the table. Instantly she was at his side, looping her arm around his shoulders and helping keep him on his feet. He laughed with his companions at some joke she had not been paying attention to. She plucked the flagon from his hands and set it back on the table.

"All right darling, I think you've had enough" she said softly as she spun him around and guided him toward the stairs. His companions raised their mugs and gave a cheer for their companion and then promptly went back to drinking themselves into a stupor.

She helped him stumble up the stairs, half guiding him and half pulling him.

"Best shtuff I ever tasted..." he muttered as she guided him through the door. She kicked the door shut behind them with the tip of her foot and guided him near the bed. She pulled him upright by his shoulders and then stepped back, holding her breath for a moment at the way he swayed, fearing he might just pass out on the floor and deny her this opportunity. When he managed to stay on his feet she gave a soft sigh of relief and then reached for the clasps of his cloak.

"All right darling, time for bed!" she said mischievously as she started to undress him.

"Bed...right..." he muttered and swayed forward, forcing her to push him back upright. She crinkled her nose at the smell of the alcohol on his breath, but forced herself to ignore it; this was not the first time she had engaged a seduction under such circumstances.

She pulled his robe from his shoulders and yanked his tunic off over his head. She took a moment to once again savor the sight of his body; he had such a young, healthy physique, or at least young by her measure. For a moment she wondered if she was turning into one of those aging women who tries to ravenously seduce younger males, as if doing so would ward off the effects of age. She tittered a the thought and resumed her work. She undid his belt and slid of away from his waist with a single tug. He just stood passively, as it totally unaware of what was going on.

"Won't be needing that anymore..." she thought aloud and tossed it aside. She went to work on his trousers, yanking them down to his ankles, and then stood up, letting her lithe body brush against his as she rose.

_Time to go to work..._ she thought to herself, and with that she reached her arms around herself and undid her bodice, letting it fall to the floor to mingle with his garments. She coiled her arms slowly, delicately around him and started to kiss his neck, nibbling and sucking gently at his milky flesh. He remained passive, swaying slightly, his eyes closed and a pleasant look on his face. She felt his arousal growing in response to her encouragement and then slowly reached a hand down between his legs...

"What?" he said suddenly and jerked away from her. His eyes were still glassy, but more aware than they had been a moment ago. "What are you..." he said as he glanced around, as if he had forgotten his surroundings. He looked down and saw the state they were both in, and then turned his gaze back to hers. "I know what you're trying to do, and it won't work!" he said forcefully, his words suddenly coming much clearer.

"Stop fighting it" she said, a little more aggressively than she had intended. "Destiny brought us together, darling" she added quickly, hoping he would not be taken aback, "and we both want this so badly..." she moved closer and whispered to him. "you know you do."

He reached out,intending to take her by her shoulders, but his hands found her breasts instead. There was a single heartbeat of hesitation, and then the last vestiges of his will finally collapsed. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her to him, her breasts smacking against his chest, and instantly dove into a fierce, powerful kiss.

_Well its about time! _Sha'Akay thought to herself as she rolled her eyes back. But nonetheless, she responded to him in the way that instinct and experience had taught her. She returned his kiss hungrily and coiled her arms tightly around his neck, one of her hands going to the back of his head to press him even harder into their kiss. When his hands began to explore her body she lightly ran the tips of her talons on the other hand down the flesh of his back, causing him to groan in pain and pleasure. One of his hands reached down to clasp one of her buttocks, gripping it tightly. In response she gave a short hop, bringing her legs around his waist. Weakened by drink, he was unable to hold up their combined weight and fell back onto the bed where they became a tangle of writhing limbs and low, sensual moans.

A little while later...

Sha'Akay laid on her back, gazing up at the ceiling. Darcia laid on top of her, his head resting against her breasts as he slept heavily, completely exhausted. She ran the talons of one hand softly through his hair and ocassionally fiddled with one of his long, pointed ears as he gazed up and plotted to herself.

_Well, finally its done_ she thought she, of course, would satisfy his cravings till he became hopelessly addicted. Then, like any addict, he would be at the complete mercy of his supplier.

But still, she found she had no desire to waste him either. She glanced down at his sleeping form and considered to herself. It had taken great strength to resist her temptations for as long as he had, and even then she had only been able to succeed when he let his guard completely down. Perhaps he was worth keeping around for a while after all-he could make a useful tool.

And still...there were some other reasons as well. Once again she looked at his youthful body and handsome face admiringly. This time he had been frenzied and over-anxious, but with time he could be taught some staying power and perhaps become a perfectly adequate plaything for one such as her. She saw potential in him, and such things that she could teach him!

She reached down and traced her fingertips softly over the smooth lines of the muscles between his shoulders, followed then slight bumps of his spine down his back, and then cupped one firm buttock gently.

Darcia stirred for a moment in his sleep and then snuggled up closer against her.

_He might make a nice pet_ she considered. She took a moment to imagine him wearing a leash and collar-and nothing else, crawling on his hands and knees by her side and performing tricks when she beckoned. It gave her some amusement, and she chuckled to herself as she coiled her arms around him and closed her eyes, fading off into sleep herself.

While she slept, her tail flicked and then coiled itself around one of his legs.


	5. Chapter 5

Greetings once more, true believers! To all who have reviewed, I offer my sincere thanks for your kind and generous words, and my apologies for the length of time between chapters. I am glad to hear you are all enjoying the adventures (or mis-adventures) of our truly odd couple. I would also like to confirm, for those who may have guessed it already, that Darcia's name is indeed inspired by the character of the same name from my favorite anime, Wolf's Rain. And it sounded like a perfectly elvish name anyway. And Sha'Akay's habit of referring to Darcia as "darling" is inspired by Lum Invader of Urusei Yatsura. Naga26 himself as actually commented that I have developed her personality more than he has ever envisioned, and I am glad to say he is enjoying this story as well. Read on, and enjoy!

MINE

Sha'akay yawned, her jaw strechting to show her pointed fangs. She folded her arms and leaned back against the wall, for once staying put where she had been told to. She glanced out over the elaborate chamber, her eyes zeroing in on the back of Darcia's head. He, along with all the other blood elves in the room, were facing forward, where one of Silvermoon's wisest and most powerful warlock's was delivering a lecture, instructing them in the dark arts of summoning demons and casting down curses and afflictions upon their enemies.

As if he somehow sensed her watching him, Darcia's pointed ears twitched slightly. He glanced back over his shoulder, meeting her gaze. She smiled to herself when she saw some familiar stirrings in his eyes. She reached up, cupping her own breasts, and winked slyly.

"Perhaps Dawnstrider has something he would like to add, does he not?" the instructor intoned from the front of the room. Darcia's head snapped back around, his face flushing slightly at the ripple of laughter from his fellow warlocks at this rebuke.

"No, wise master" he said apologetically, "forgive my ignorance."

"Shall we resume then?" the instructor said, narrowing his eyes at his protege. "Now then, concentration is essential..."

Sha'Akay giggled softly to herself, enjoying the mischief she had caused, but still looking rather forward to fulfilling the promise of her flirtations later on. She had bedded him several more times in the last few weeks, and she was confident that slowly she was wearing him down. He no longer resisted her advances, even if he was not competely in her thrall yet. He did not brush her away when she laced her arm around his, or held his hand as they walked side by side. He no longer seemed to mind her granting him small pet-names. She felt she was even making progress in subtely instructing him in the finer arts of the bedroom; he seemed to be a fast learner, and she had found she enjoyed the role of teacher.

"He should be paying closer attention..." a velvety voice broke the demoness out of her thoughts. She turned her head to find another blood elf, a woman, standing next to her. She was also gazing at Darcia, watching. Instantly Sha'akay felt an animosity rise; she did not like to see someone else eyeing her property so keenly.

"What business is it of yours?" she said, narrowing her eyes.

"The well being of Silvermoon is every blood elf's business" the elf relied cooly. "And Silvermoon needs every one of her people to be ever-vigilant if we are to fend off disaster. And prevent...internal corruption." The demoness narrowed her eyes at this subtle insult, but and opened her mouth to issue a retort.

"Lira!" Darcia interrupted, sounding jovial as he walked up and threw his arms around the elf female, causing Sha'akay's irritation to rise even further.

"You know this girl?" she said, trying her best to hide her agitation.

"Indeed, she is an old friend; we grew up together" he explained. Lira smiled and returned his embrace and then placed a hand on his shoulder, returning his warm smile. Sha'Akay's tail flicked as she fought back to urge to yank that had away from him and snap each of its fingers one by one.

"We were going to study as mages together, but it seems Darcia found the darker arts a bit too hard to resist" Lira explained, smiling at her friend. "You always did like to walk a little more on the dangerous side of things."

"How have you been old friend?" he asked.

"Not as busy as you, it seems" she said, a note of admiration in her voice. "Word of your exploits has gotten around."

"Has it now?" Darcia said, a note of pleasure in his voice. He smiled smugly, preening at his newfound fame. Sha'Akay folded her arms and frowned.

_"How typically male" _she thought to herself, _"all you have to do is stroke their ego a bit." _

"But you shouldn't forget your own people" Lira said, tightening her grip on his shoulder. "We need every good hand we have here. You shouldn't let yourself be...distracted." At this last word, she flicked her eyes to Sha'Akay and then back to him

"I suppose..." he said thoughtfully. He turned his eyes to the stone-paved streets below his feet, as if feeling the weight of guilt upon him

"Would you like to take a walk around the city? We could discuss this further..." Lira said helpfully, trying to lighten the hefty thoughts she had placed into his head.

"I would like to, but I am afraid my instructors have given me new materials to study" Darcia replied, gesturing to several tomes held under his arm. "Its going to keep me rather busy."

"That's right!" Sha'Akay burst in as she darted forward, "We really should be going!"

"I'll see you later, Lira" Darcia rushed to say as his succubus pulled him away. They walked away down the street, side by side. After a few seconds, Sha'Akay brushed herself closer to him and coiled her arm around his.

She glanced back over her shoulder at the lone elf who was watching them go and smiled smugly to herself. Lira returned her glare, but not the smile.

Several hours later, Sha'Akay sauntered through the silk draperies that served as the door to the room Darcia had taken in one of Silvermoon's inns. After their encounter with that fair-haired hussy, she had taken a long walk around the city while Darcia returned here to study the tomes his instructors had assigned him. She had spent the time stomping through the streets, returning the confused, curios, or just plain lustful gazes with a murderous glare. She had thrown stones into one of the ornate fountains furiously, sending sparkling water splashing across the pavement. She had even gone to the tailoring shop to watch as enslaved gnomes recieved abuse from their handlers. None of it seemed to improve her mood much.

_That little tramp!_ she had thought to herself over and over. _How dare she put her hands on him! _She imagined that delicate hand with those elegant fingers-and pictured herself biting each digit off one by one and spitting them into that wench's face.

Finally she returned, having failed to walk off her frustration. She found Darcia hunched over a table, his face buried in the pages of an ancient, dusty book. He moved occasionally his lips as he read, or turned to jot notes on a piece of paper. An untouched glass of wine sat next to his hand.

"Still at your books?" she said, cocking her head to one side. He did not respond-did not even raise his head to look at her. She frowned as she considered what to do next, and then smirked as she felt mischief rise in her.

She sashayed around the table and stood alongside his seat. She leaned her head over his shoulder to peek at the ageless words he was so absorbed with, and then reached over his shoulder and snapped the book shut, nearly catching his nose between the pages. He gave an annoyed sigh and turned his eyes to her.

"I hadn't finished with that."

"I'm bored" she replied, tracing small circles on the cover of the book with the tip of one of her talons.

"And just what do you expect me to do about that?"

"Amuse me" she said, straightening up and pushing her chest out slightly. He gave an amused smile and shook his head.

"With you around, it will be a miracle if I get any work done..."

"Hmm, all work and no play" she said teasingly and tapped the tip of her talon against his nose. Dacia closed his eyes and gave a resigned sigh, but nonetheless pushed his seat away from the table and patted his thighs. She took his meaning and seated herself on his lap. She rested her arms on his shoulders, draping them around his neck, as he coiled his around her waist.

"Well, I suppose a tiny break may be called for" he said, returning her mischievous smile.

"Mmm, I knew you'd see it my way" she giggled as she leaned in. Their lips met in a soft, tender kiss. She nibbled down gently on his lower lip, tugging playfully.

"If my wise instructors could see me doing this" he said, thoughfully, after their kiss broke. "They'd probably reprimand me and forbid me from summing you again."

"Aaw, but I thought you liked to 'walk on the dangerous side of things'" she whispered into his ear.

"You would know by now" he whispered in return as he rested one of his hands on her bottom, just below the base of her tail. He moved his kisses to her neck, and she titled he head back to give him more room. She ran her fingers affectionately through his hair, and then rested her chin on his skull when he pressed his face to her chest. They remained like this, silently savoring each other's bodies, until her keen sense detected another presence nearby...

Sha'Akay opened her eyes to narrow slits and glanced toward the door, smiling wickedly to herself when she saw Lira standing there, the trollop's face contorted in a mix of anger and distaste. Smiling because she herself had penned a note to this little whelp using Darcia's name, saying he had changed his mind and inviting her to this very room. Smiling to see her little conspiracy come to fruition.

"Darling..." Sha'Akay sighed dreamily and took Darcia's lips aggressively. He responded to her forcefulness in kind, tightening his arms around her and returning her kiss eagerly. She glanced back at the door. Lira was no longer there.

The demoness smiled and tightened her arms around her conquest, clutching him possessively.

_Thought you could take him_ she thought to herself triumphantly, _But he's mine, and he'll never belong to anyone else. Ever._

She dove into another kiss.


	6. Chapter 6

Greetings once more, kind and gentle reader. I must apologize again for the length of time between chapters. I am sad to say that developments in my personal life, along with a hectic schedule, have left me with little time to write, and when I do have time I find myself creatively drained. I am delighted to see that so many are enjoying this story, and Naga and I both are glad to see you are all enjoying our respective characters. I must say that "delightful" and "kind of sweet" are never quite the words I would have used to describe our dear demoness. I am basing my portrayal of her party on Naga's own art, and on my own ideas of what a succubus would behave like. On one hand, I see her as the woman of every man's dreams; gorgeous passionate, and insatiable in the bedroom. But on the other hand, she is the woman of every man's nightmares; jealous, possessive, and controlling. And indeed, while she obviously has her devious side our dear Sha'Akay can't help being what she is, and that is central to how I intend for things to develop for unique pair. Read on and enjoy, and as always reviews are welcome!

_Sentiment?_

The first rays of dawn slowly lanced out over the hills and mountains that surrounded the Arathi Basin. The light illuminated the diverse landscape and the small buildings that dotted it. Nestled amongst the Alterac Mountains, the basin was a small, isolated piece of geography-yet countless gallons of blood had been shed for this tiny piece of the landscape.

Despite its isolation, the basin was rich in resources. The soil was fertile and easy to cultivate-ideal for the growing of the crops needed to feed an army. The surrounding mountains were practically bursting with gold, copper, and silver-a fortune to last a lifetime. There were herds of wild horses that were strong and swift-ideal mounts for troops on the move. There was a forest of trees with remarkably strong timber-a perfect material to build cities or the weapons to level them. Its wealth of resources made Arathi Basin a jewel to whoever held it, and indeed, the ownership of it shifted on a near daily basis.

The dwarven Leage of Arathor and the undead Arathi Defilers had long feuded over this plot of valuable real estate. Joined by the numerous adventurers who wandered the lengths of Azeroth, they battled constantly to plunder the resources of the Basin. Some days the Leage of Arathor took the advantage and harvested what they could as swiftly as possible, some days the Defilers forced them back and raided as much as possible before the next battle arose. With this unending conflict, there was hardly an inch of soil in the Basin that had not been stained with blood.

_And soon there'll be even more!_ Sha'akay thought as she smiled deviously. In spite of herself, the demoness was growing excited in anticipation of the battle to come. While journeying the Eastern Kingdoms, Darcia had enlisted them to aid the Defilers in their never-ending struggle to posess the Basin. He stood at the other side of the small barn the Defilers had taken as a temporary command center, consulting with the undead and others who had signed up for the struggle to come. She actually found herself admiring him for a moment; his face was stern, his eyes focused as he pointed to the map set on the table before him, discussing the strategy for the coming battle. He looked rather commanding when he was this determined-it made him seem handsome and imposing.

A three-pronged attack plan had been prepared, and she and Darcia were to be part of a group that would assault a nearby mine while two other groups would charge to occupy a farm and lumber mill. Once all three had been secured, they would swiftly move on to attack an isolated blacksmith shop in the center of the basin from three directions. With enough speed and brutality, they would be left in control of a significant portion of the Basin and free to seize what they would at will.

As the dawn light began to spread, she joined Darcia and the rest of their allies at the gate of the Defiler's base of operations, awaiting the call to begin the attack. Darcia summoned his felsteed and before mounting Sha'Akay took a moment to run one of her hands admiringly over the scaled, spiny hide of the magnificent creature. Once she was back on her throne she intended to seek out such a steed for herself, a royal mount befitting of a queen. She accepted his hand as he helped her up into the saddle behind him, wrapping her arms around his midsection.

"It is by will alone I set my mind in motion, by the light of the Sunwell my thoughts will acquire speed..." Darcia whispered to himself. Sha'Akay tightened her arms around him softly at these words. She had heard him utter this verse before; it was a sort of prayer meant to help him focus and remain calm. She could feel his heart starting to beat faster as his anticipation swelled. She held him close, her breasts swelling against his back, her breath falling softly against his pointed ear. He glanced over his shoulder and smiled at her. She smiled back, flashing her fangs and placed one of her hands over his, gripping gently.

Their intimant moment was broken by the bellow of a horn from one the Defilers' herald. The attack was on!

Instantly Darcia spurred his demonic mount on, its forever-cindered hooves clashing againt the ground like thunder. They charged down the hillside at the fastest possible speed toward the mine, hoping to reach it before the League's forces could. An orcish warrior mounted on his wolf rode with them, managing to keep pace at first, but swiftly falling behind as Darcia pushed his mount into an extra burst of speed.

The mine became visible to them as they turned a bend. There were no League forces around it, there's for the taking! But as they rode downward they saw them approach; two mounted riders, one of them a human, most likely a mage by his robes, and the other a draenai clothed in plated armor, perhaps a paladin. For half a heartbeat Darcia released the reigns of his beast, drawing arcane symbols through the air with his fingers, muttering the ancient words to summon a storm of flame and ash. Sure enough, a black cloud quickly swirled directly in the path where the two Alliance riders were charging, sparks of fire and cinder tumbling through the air over them. The draenai swiftly held up his shield, the magical flames bouncing off its surface like rain across a rooftop. The human, however, was forced to hesitate, holding his horse at bay to wait for the firestorm to dissipate. It was all they needed. Darcia glanced over his shoulder and nodded. Sha'Akay leapt into action.

With the agility of a trained acrobat she leapt to her feet, placing her talons delicatly across the demonic-horse's back. Bending at her knees, she thrust herself upward into the air, spreading her wings to their full span. Picking up enough wind, she glided effortlessly over the head of the charging draenai and landed right in front of th the hesitating human mage. She tumbled down into a pile and then leapt up, straighting to her full height, her arms thrust overhead in a display any dancer would have envied. Darcia smiled to himself as he watched her, unable to help but admire her perfection even in the heat of battle.

Sha'Akay smiled with satisfaction when she saw the human gape for a moment, perhaps startled by her sudden leap before him, or perhaps enraptured by her taught body and the gentle quiver of her flesh as she moved. She puckered her lips at him, blowing a soft kiss and then snapped her arm, cracking her whip to leave a small gash across his chin. The human gasped and jerked in his saddle, giving her the perfect opening to pounce. She leaped upon him, crashing her body into his and knocking him from his horse to the ground. She quickly straddeld him, planting her knees on his arms, leaving him spread-eagled and helpless. He began to mutter an incantation of his own, perahps hoping to summon a bolt of frosty arcane magic. She silenced him by clapping her hand over his mouth, giggling softly as she lowered her face to his, letting her sweet breath blow across his skin, savoring the terror in his eyes.

"No, no..." she whispered seductively, "Mommy likes things nice and hot!" With that she thrust her head down and sank her teeth into the flesh of his face, grabbing a large chunk of his cheek between her jaw. She curled her spine agressively, straightening her torso and ripping a huge chunk from his head with a soft splash of warm blood. The sound of his shriek was music to her ears, and she cooed softly as she munched the delicate flesh between her teeth, the blood dripping from between her lips down over her neck and chest.

_So sweet, _she thought to herself as turned and spat the ruined skin away, _virgin by the taste. Its been a while since..._

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of struggle. She lookd over her shoulder and felt her heart leap into her throat when she saw the draenai descend on Darcia. In her glee over her attack, she had completely forgotten both of them! Darcia tried to cast another spell, just as the human had, but the draenai silenced him by bringing his mallet down across the blood elf's skull. Darcia crumpled instantly, collapsing to the ground hideously. The dranaei swiftly dismounted and raised his mallet again, aiming to finish the job.

Sha'Akay gasped softly, the breath freezing in her lungs when she saw her darling fall. She clenched her eyes shut, as if trying to block the image out. Then they snapped open again, her vision blurred by a haze of red...

Skorr, an orcish warrior, grunted as he pushed his wolf to run at its fastest pace. He rounded the bend just in time to see the first blow being struck; a Draenai felled the blood elf who had charged ahead with a single strike. The draenai readied to finish the elf off, but then raised its head and saw Skorr riding forward. It assumed a defensive stance, shield raised, ready for combat. Skorr grinned around his tusks as he reached for his weapon, eager for the blood-boiling melee to come.

Before he could make it down to the struggle, however, his attention was drawn by the sound of a loud snarl-like something he had heard in the jungles of Stranglethorn. A spine-encrusted wip snapped around the draenai's neck, yanking viciously. Then Skorr saw a pink-skinned female, the elf's demon, leap upon the draenai's back, snapping her arms and legs around him like a spring. She clapped he hands over his face and then pulled them apart, raking her nails across his skin. Simaltaneously she curled her feet, digging the talons of her toes into his abdomen. The draenai screamed in agony as she unwound her legs from him and placed her feet onto the ground, then her hands onto his shoulders, giving a powerful push downward, shoving the wounded paladin down onto his back.

The draenai glanced upward, blinking through the blood that was oozing into his eyes. He had only an instant to observe the demoness raise her arms up high overhead before her fists smashed down onto his face. Then he saw no more. But even then the enraged succubus rended into his body with her talons, intending to have her way with him even if he could no longer satisfy her with his screams.

Skorr was stunned for an instant at how fast the action had unfurled. He had only ever seen such viciousness in an enraged female once before, from Sergra Darkthorn during an Alliance raid on The Crossroads. He might have admired it if she had not robbed him of the satisfaction of a good battle. Nonetheless, he was determined to get some blood onto his weapon before the day was out and rode on past them, charging up toward the blacksmith shop to join the struggle unfolding there.

Sha'Akay's chest rose and fell heavily as she stood up from the ravaged corpse. She wiped some sweat from her forehead with her arm, trying to catch her breath. The body was no longer recognizable as even remotely humanoid, but she found it gave her little satisfaction.

Her momentary rest was interrupted by the sound of a horn, its bellow sounded long and mournful. She knew quickly what that meant: a retreat had been sounded. The attack had failed, and their efforts had been for nothing.

Remembering what had sent her into such a fury, she quickly ran over to the motionless form of Darcia. She knelt alongside him and for a moment she was hesitant to touch him, fearing that any disturbance might worsen his condition. His skin had gone the color of raw milk, his cheeks looking hallow. He was breathing, but very weakly. She wrapped her arms around his torso and tried to pull him to his feet as best she could, but his limp body proved difficult to move.

The sound of approaching footfalls caught her attention, and she raised her head to see another blood elf, a rogue by his leather garments and the daggers in his belt, running past them for the Defiler's base.

"Help me!" she shouted as he charged past her. He stopped and looked back, momentarily indecisive. He glanced toward the base, then back to her and gave a growl of resignation. He hurried over and took Darcia's legs while Sha'akay took his shoulders, pulling him up and carrying as best they could manage.

Tip-tap, tip-tap, tip-tap...

This was the sound her claws made as she paced the floor. Sha'Akay walked over to a window and gazed at her hazy reflection in the glass. She looked haggard, her eyes heavy with worry, her face furrowed in agitation. She looked back at Darcia, motionless on the bed, his head wrapped in bandages. She shuddered and gazed back out the window again.

_Its my fault! I never should have run off like that..._she thought to herself, agonizing in the memory. As hard as she tried she simply could not shake the sound of his body thudding to the ground from he ears. The image of him collapsing kept replaying in her memory, as if on a permanent loop she would never be free from. But why was she tormenting herself like this? If he died she would simply slip back into the void and be free. She could find another mortal to assist in her return to her realm. It would be a temporary setback at the worst. _Its his own fault! _she thought furiously, trying to summon some indignation, _the fool shouldn't have let himself vulnerable. He knows better. If he dies, he dies!_

But still...she looked back at him, looking so vulnerable yet so peaceful in his sleep. How many times had she seen him like that as he lay alongside her in the dark? She wished she were seeing him under those circumstances now. She grunted in frustration and smashed her fist into the windowpane, the glass rattling with the impact. _Don't tell me I...care about this wretch? _she thought to herself, amazed at just how startling the concept was.

There was a soft creak as the door opened, and a Forsaken surgeon slipped in. He knelt by the bed and placed his boney fingers at Darcia's wrist, at his neck, over his lips to feel for breath. He examined the bandages briefly.

"Well?" Sha'akay asked as she hovered over him. "When is he going to wake up?"

"Today, tomorrow, perhaps never" the surgeon said with a casual shrug of his skeletal shoulders. "These things are never predictable. All we can do is administer the proper care and wait."

"Well you'd better 'administer' fast, I'm getting tired of waiting!" she said, placing her fists on her hips.

"Its entirely in his own hands now. If he chooses to revive, he'll wake up. If not..." another shrug. It was the wrong gesture to make; it added to her agitation. She strode over and clasped him by his collar, raising his mummified feet off the floor.

"You'd like that, wouldn't you?" she snarled, "You'd probably send him to the Undercity for your 'expirements,' wouldn't you? Pump him full of chemicals and cut him up like a dead animal! I should..."

"Its all right..." a weak but familiar voice intervened. Sha'Akay froze, her skin tingling. She slowly turned her head, barely daring to hope. Darcia gazed at her with hazy, glazed eyes. But the were open! He forced himself to curl his lips up in a smile at her.

She released the surgeon, letting him fall to the floor. With a shout she darted across the room and jumped onto the bed alongside him. She threw her arms around him and covered his face with kisses.

"Madame, I must urge you to stop that" the surgeon said as he rose to his feet, "You will upset his wounds."

"She's just checking the bandages" Darcia jested. Sha'akay grinned wickedly as she clutched him. The surgeon just shrugged once again and left the room.

Sha'Akay gazed down into his eyes, relieved beyond words to see him looking back up at her. He smiled again and reached up with a trembling arm, brushing his hand across her face. She melted against him and pressed her lips to his in a long kiss. When she raised her head to look at him again his eyes were closed, already slipping back into sleep. She snuggled herself up alongside him and held him close against her.

_I'll never let anyone hurt you again_ she thought to herself as she felt him breath. _No one touches my things. No one._


End file.
